M2-5 Trust Games

Description

Trust games are a great way to help build communication skills that are essential for groups of children. These games will help the children to develop mutual respect for each other. They will also help children to build concentration skills and teamwork skills. Taken from the BB Juniors Pro Pack Mind M-2-5

Resources

Instructions

Activity 1 - Minefield
Preparation:
Set up your minefield. Have a good selection of obstacles that will deter a straight path.

Instructions:
• Put the children into pairs.
• One child is then blindfolded and must walk with the other partner’s directions through a

minefield’.
• Place as many things as you wish out on the floor to represent mines in the minefield.
• The partner tells the blindfolded child where to walk.
• If they step on or touches a mine, the team is out.
• The last pair on the course or first team to finish wins.

Tips/Advice:
This game is all about trust, communication and about listening. Encourage them to think about this before they start the game. Make sure that you are using good blindfolds so that there is no cheating.

Activity 2 Blind Leading The Blind
Instructions:
• Tell the children that they all, except for one, will be blindfolded.
• The seeing child will be the eyes for everyone and collect all the other children and lead them to safety.
• Lead the group into the room, blindfold them and scatter them a little in the space you are using.
• The seeing child collects a child by linking hands and then as a pair moving to collect another child. This is repeated until all children are collected.
• The seeing child should be the only one who speaks.
• Once all are collected the chain must make its way back to the entrance point by trusting the leader,
• If there is time, all the children could have a turn at being the leader.

Activity 3 Compliments Game
Instructions:
Compliments Game
• This is an activity to do with children who know each other.
• Each child is given a piece of paper and write their name on.
• The papers are laid out on the floor.
• The children move around visiting everyone else’s piece of paper.
• While they are at a piece of paper they have to write something nice, a compliment, about that person.
• Give some examples - You’re a great friend and share your games”.
• The sheets could be mounted on the hall wall or taken home by the children.
• Perhaps the leaders could join in!

Tips /Advice:
Ensure that no one writes anything that is mean.

Activity 4 Number Circle
Aim:
To get the children to work together.

Instructions:
• Get the group to sit in a circle, close their eyes and stay quiet.
• Choose one person to start and that person says the number 1.
• Then somebody else says 2 etc. etc.
• The aim of the game is to count as high as possible without any two people saying the same number at the same time.
• If this does happen — it is likely to happen to start with - start again at number 1.
• Each person can say only one number at a time.

Devotion Links:
Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Children need time and care and must be able to trust those adults around them. That means
as a leader being a consistent real example of someone who is trustworthy. Children will learn
how to view themselves by leader’s actions, which speak louder than words or gifts. They will
also need to learn to trust in God and know that He is trustworthy.